Beverage container holder

ABSTRACT

A holder system for receiving and retaining a beverage container therein is disclosed. The holder system includes a holder generally formed of resiliently compressible material, such as insulative foam. The holder includes an exterior surface having hook-and-loop material thereon, preferably loop material. The system further includes a plurality of hook-and-loop material pieces, preferably hook material pieces for mating with the loop material of the holder. The material pieces may be selectively located to allow the holder to matingly secure therewith in a plurality of locations. Alternatively and/or in addition, the material pieces may be located to allow the holder to matingly secure with a plurality of material pieces thereof simultaneously.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a beverage container holder and, in particular, to an insulating beverage container holder system for stabilizing the beverage container on one or more surfaces.

BACKGROUND

Currently, beverage container holders are well known, designs of which generally fall into one of two categories. In the first category, the beverage container holders provide hands-free stability where the beverage container is susceptible to being jostled or toppled. For instance, automotive vehicles have beverage container holders to hold the beverage container while a driver operates the vehicle or otherwise occupies their hands.

Another category of beverage containers provide certain thermal or insulative properties. For instance, a type of insulative beverage container holder is well-known and popularized as the Koozie™ beverage container holder, which is often simply referred to as a cozy. The cozy has a body substantially comprised of a cylindrical portion and a round base portion generally closing a bottom side of the cylindrical portion. The round base commonly has a hole through its center to allow for drainage, such as produced when a cold beverage container resides in a warm, humid environment allowing moisture to condense on the surface of the container. The body of the cozy is made of an insulative foam. The cozy-type beverage container holder has been advertised as maintaining an aluminum can containing a beverage at a temperature of about 40 degrees or below for a time period three times longer than a can exposed to ambient air.

Boats are one of the most difficult vehicles on which to stabilize a beverage. As a boat moves with any significant speed across a surface of water, the boat will move up and down as it rides each wave, often bouncing up and down, as well as pitching to the port and starboard. Even at a standstill, boats are rocked by waves and by wakes traveling away from other boats. Smaller boats will lean to port or starboard simply by a person moving within a passenger area of the boat.

Most of the stability-type beverage container holders are generally fixed in position and include hard plastic components. As a result, the holders may be fragile or susceptible to impact damage, and the holders have a singular location at which the container can be placed. In a passenger compartment of a boat the passengers tend to move around, and boating accessories such as skis and fishing poles and coolers are moved around. These accessories may impact with stationary, rigid holders causing damage or simply breaking them. Additionally, a boat would need to be equipped with the holders all over, or otherwise a passenger would need to return to a particular spot repeatedly in order to drink from the beverage container and replace the container in the holder.

One of the benefits of the cozy-type holder is that the foam material has a lower density that water. As a result, the cozy holder and the beverage therein are able to float. Accordingly, the cozy holder is popular among people who enjoy time on boats and similar water-based pleasure craft.

Accordingly, there has been a need for an improved beverage container system allowing a beverage to be insulated and stabilized on a variety of surfaces.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a system for generally immobilizing a beverage container, particularly in a vehicle, is disclosed. The system includes a holder for receiving and retaining the beverage container, the exterior of the holder being generally covered with a first member including a first material that is mateable with a second material in hook-and-loop fashion. The second material maybe secured on surfaces in one or more of various places, such as in or on the vehicle. The surfaces may include generally horizontal surfaces or generally vertical surfaces, or surfaces somewhat oblique thereto. This allows the holder to be secured to these surfaces, such as a horizontal surface and a vertical surface, either singly or simultaneously, and to a selected one of a plurality of such surfaces. The holder may be formed of soft, resilient foam so that the beverage container may be generally immobilized and stabilized with an impact-resistant, or non-breakable, holder system.

In accordance with an additional aspect, a holder system for generally immobilizing and stabilizing a beverage container is disclosed including a holder having an outer surface with a generally cylindrical side surface portion and a generally planar bottom surface portion, a first member or material piece securable on a structure surface, and a second member or material piece securable on a structure surface, the first and second material pieces respectively releasably mateable with the cylindrical side surface portion and the bottom surface portion. The cylindrical surface portion and bottom surface portion may include respective vertical and horizontal layers adhered thereto for mating with the first and second members or material pieces. The vertical layer may generally cover the cylindrical side surface portion. The horizontal layer may generally cover the bottom surface portion. In one form, the first and second members or material pieces may be releasably mateable with the cylindrical side surface portion and the bottom surface portion in hook-and-loop fashion. In this form, the vertical and horizontal layers may be loop material, an the first and second members or material pieces may be hook material.

The first and second members or material pieces may be secured with respective structure surfaces, such as of a vehicle. The first and second members or material pieces may be secured in relative proximity, and the holder may be secured with the first and second members or material pieces simultaneously.

The holder system may include a plurality of first members or material pieces secured at a plurality of locations. The holder system may include a plurality of second members or material pieces secured at a plurality of locations.

The holder may be substantially comprised of foam material. The foam material may be resiliently compressible. The holder may be substantially comprised of insulative material.

In a further aspect, a holder system for generally immobilizing and stabilizing a beverage container is disclosed including a holder having an outer surface, the outer surface including a generally cylindrical side surface portion and a generally planar bottom surface portion, a member or material piece securable on a first structure surface, the member selectively releasably mateable with the cylindrical side surface portion and with the bottom surface portion. The material piece may include a hook-and-loop material portion, and the cylindrical side surface portion and bottom surface portion include a portion of hook-and-loop material portion mateable with the member material piece. This allows the member to be selectively located on a structure surface, and the holder may be secured therewith in regardless of the orientation of the structure surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental view showing beverage container holder systems of the present invention secured with an instrument panel of a boat, each beverage container holder system having a beverage container, a first beverage container being secured with a substantially horizontal surface and a second beverage container being secured with a substantially vertical surface;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the beverage container holder system showing the holder having a body with one portion of hook-and-loop material adhered to a cylindrical outer surface, and showing a vertically oriented strip of a mating portion of hook-and-loop material secured therewith for securing the holder with a substantially vertical surface;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the beverage container holder system showing the holder having a generally flat bottom portion with one portion of hook-and-loop material adhered thereto, and showing a horizontally oriented strip of a mating portion of hook-and-loop material for securing the bottom portion of the holder with a substantially horizontal surface;

FIG. 4A is an environmental view showing the vertically oriented strip secured with a vertical surface and showing a direction of securement for the holder therewith;

FIG. 4B is an environmental view similar to FIG. 4A showing the horizontally oriented strip secured with a horizontal surface and showing a second direction of securement for the holder therewith;

FIG. 4C is an environmental view similar to FIGS. 4A and 4B showing the horizontally and vertically oriented strips proximally located and secured with respective horizontal and vertical surfaces and representing securement of the holder therewith; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the holder showing the hook-and-loop material of the cylindrical portion and the bottom portion partially removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring initially to FIG. 1, beverage container holder systems 1 in accordance with the present invention are depicted including a holder 4 having a body 6 and mating hook-and-loop material 14 for stabilizing and securing the holder 4 with one or more surfaces (see FIGS. 4A-4C). As shown, the beverage container holder systems 1 are secured with an instrument panel 8 of a boat 2. A first beverage container holder system 1 a is secured on a generally horizontal surface 10 of the instrument panel 8, while a second beverage container system 1 b is secured on a generally vertical surface 12 of the instrument panel 8.

As used herein, the terms horizontal surface should be understood to mean a surface which is closer to horizontal than to vertical, and vertical surface should be understood to mean a surface with is closer to vertical than to horizontal. In using the beverage container holder system 1, it should be recognized that the horizontal or vertical surfaces will be generally aligned with either a base or a side of a beverage container held within the holder 4, and the angle at which the surface may be relative to horizontal or vertical is dependent on the ability of the beverage contain to retain the beverage therewithin.

The hook-and-loop material 14 generally comprises a pair of relatively thin sheet-like materials, one material being a hook material 16 and the other being a loop material 18. However, one of the materials 16, 18 may be formed integral with the body 6.

The body 6 is generally covered by one of the materials 16, 18 of the hook-and-loop material 14. As will readily be recognized, the hook material 16 may be substituted for the loop material 18 provided the loop material 18 is vice-versa substituted for the hook material 16 such that the system 10 is provided with a portion of hook material 16 and with loop material 18 in an opposed and mating relationship. In use, the holder 4 is typically carried by a person with an uncovered hand so that the person's palm in contact with the material 14. Due to the generally rougher texture of the hook material 16, it is preferred that the material secured on the body 6 be the loop material 18.

In FIG. 1, the holders 4 are generally immobilized so that a boat pilot (not shown) may have both hands free to operate a steering wheel W and a throttle T without being impeded or restricted by concern for a beverage. The instrument panel 8 is located in a passenger area of the boat 2, and various parts of the passenger area or other portions of the boat 2 may easily be equipped with a plurality of pieces of hook material 16. These pieces of hook material 16 may be secured with vertical surfaces, horizontal surfaces, or both. This allows a person to generally immobilize and stabilize the holder 4 with a beverage container therein in various parts of the boat 22, as desired. More pointedly, the holder 4 and the holder system 1 may be used in many areas of the boat 2. As described, the beverage container holder system 1 provides benefits of the known insulator cozy as well as the benefits of the known cup holder systems that generally immobilize and stabilize beverage containers therein.

The body 6 is generally formed of a soft, resilient foam material with a density lower than that of water, in the manner described above for a cozy. Accordingly, the holder 4 is compressible, easily washed, floatable in water, and desirably used when boating. Additionally, the holder 4 is generally unbreakable. The body 6 includes a generally cylindrical portion 20, generally oriented vertically, and a bottom portion 22 which is generally oriented horizontally. The cylindrical portion 20 has a thickness, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, such that a bottom edge 20 a is provided (FIG. 5). The bottom portion 22 generally encloses a lower end of the cylindrical portion 20 so that a beverage container (not shown) may be inserted within the body 6 and, when the body 6 is held by a user, the beverage container is retained therewithin. It should be noted that the bottom portion 22 may include a central hole (not shown) permitting drainage from the holder 4, as is known. The foam material body 6 further acts as an insulator to retard shifting of the temperature of the beverage container to the temperature of ambient air.

Securement of the loop material 18 to the body 6 may be viewed in FIG. 5. The cylindrical portion 20 has an exterior surface 24, and the bottom portion 22 has an exterior surface 26. The bottom portion 22 is secured within the cylindrical portion 20 so that the bottom surface 26 is generally flush with the bottom edge 20 a of the cylindrical portion 20. The loop material 18 is secured to the exterior surfaces 24, 26, as well as to the cylindrical portion bottom edge 20 a. The loop material 18 is preferably permanently secured, such as by adhesive, and more preferably with non-water-soluble adhesive. As shown, a first piece 28 of the loop material 18 covers the entirety of the cylindrical surface 24, and a second piece 30 covers the entirety of the generally flat bottom surface 26. In this manner, the holder 4 may be secured with hook material 16 in any orientation, as will be described below.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the first loop piece 28 may be mated with a first hook piece 40. The first hook piece 40 is oriented so that it may be mated with the cylindrical portion 20 of the holder 4, and it is, therefore, referred to herein as the vertical hook piece 40. As shown, the vertical hook piece 40 is somewhat arcuate as to conform to the curvature of the cylindrical portion 20. In use, the vertical hook piece 40 may be secured with a correspondingly curved surface. However, the vertical hook piece 40 is more preferably secured with a generally planar vertical surface 42, as can be seen in FIGS. 4A and 4C. As noted above, the foam material of the holder 4 is generally resiliently compressible so that the holder 4 may be pressed against the vertical hook piece 40. This compression allows a sufficient amount of the vertical hook piece 40 to mate with the first loop piece 28 to generally stabilize and immobilize the holder 40 with the vertical surface 42.

In addition or alternatively, the holder 4 may be stabilized and immobilized with a generally horizontal surface 46, best viewed in FIG. 4B. Toward this end, a second generally horizontal hook piece 48 is secured on the horizontal surface 46, and the second loop piece 30 may be mated with the horizontal hook piece 48.

In use, the holder 4 may be mated with one or more of the hook pieces 40, 48 to stabilize and immobilize the holder 4 with a beverage container therein. As shown in FIG. 4A, the holder 4 may be pressed against the vertical hook piece 40 on the vertical surface 42, thus mating the hook piece 40 with the first loop piece 28 on the cylindrical portion 20. Similarly, FIG. 4B displays the holder 4 placed against the horizontal surface 46 to mate the second loop piece 30 with the horizontal hook piece 48. Furthermore, the holder 4 maybe simultaneously pressed against both the horizontal surface 46 and the vertical surface 42 to stabilize and generally immobilize the holder 4 in two dimensions, as shown in FIG. 4C. To enable this, the vertical hook piece 40 and the horizontal hook piece 48 are secured with the surfaces 42, 46 in relative proximity so that the holder 4 may be pressed against both pieces 40, 48.

While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 

1. A holder system for a beverage container attachable selectively to first and second structure surfaces that are at an angle with respect to each other, the holder system comprising: a holder having a generally cylindrical side surface portion having a side layer thereon, and a generally planar bottom surface portion having a bottom layer thereon; a first material piece attachable on the first structure surface; and a second material piece attachable on the second structure surface, the first and second material pieces respectively releasably mateable with the side layer on the cylindrical surface portion and with the bottom layer on the bottom surface portion.
 2. The holder system of claim 1 wherein the side layer is adhered to the cylindrical side surface portion, and the bottom layer is adhered to the bottom surface portion.
 3. The holder system of claim 2 wherein the side layer substantially covers the cylindrical side surface portion.
 4. The holder system of claim 2 wherein the bottom layer substantially covers the bottom surface portion.
 5. The holder system of claim 2 wherein the side and bottom layers are loop material, and the first and second material pieces are hook material.
 6. The holder system of claim 1 wherein the first and second material pieces are releasably mateable with the side layer and the bottom layer in hook-and-loop fashion.
 7. The holder system of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical side surface portion and bottom surface portion are perpendicular to each other.
 8. The holder system of claim 1 wherein the first and second material pieces are attached with the first and second structure surfaces in relative proximity, and the holder may be secured with the first and second material pieces simultaneously.
 9. The holder system of claim 1 wherein the first material piece includes a plurality of first material piece portions secured at a plurality of locations.
 10. The holder system of claim 1 wherein the second material pieces includes a plurality of second material piece portions secured at a plurality of locations.
 11. The holder system of claim 1 wherein the holder is substantially comprised of foam material.
 12. The holder system of claim 11 wherein the foam material is resiliently compressible.
 13. The holder system of claim 1 wherein the holder is substantially comprised of insulative material.
 14. A holder system for a beverage container, the holder system comprising: a holder having a generally cylindrical side surface portion including a side layer and a generally planar bottom surface portion including a bottom layer; a material piece attachable with a first structure surface, the material piece selectively releasably mateable with the side layer and with the bottom layer.
 15. The holder system of claim 14 wherein the material piece includes a hook-and-loop material portion, and the side layer and bottom layer each include a portion of hook-and-loop material releasably mateable with the material piece.
 16. The holder system of claim 14 wherein the material piece is a hook material portion, the side layer is a loop material portion, and the bottom layer is a loop material portion.
 17. The holder system of claim 14 wherein the side layer is formed integral with the side surface portion, and the bottom layer is formed integral with the bottom portion.
 18. The holder system of claim 14 wherein the side layer is adhered to the side surface portion, and the bottom layer is adhered to the bottom portion.
 19. The holder system of claim 14 further including at least a second material piece, each material piece selectively mountable on structure surfaces, and each material piece selectively releasably mateable with the side layer and with the bottom layer. 